BÃ˜RNS at the El Rey in Los Angeles, CA on 23-Nov-2015

BÃ˜RNS brings his stellar songwriting to the El Rey with a sold-out show that mines the past while staying firmly rooted in the present.

BÃ˜RNS debut albumÂ wears its influences on its sleeve, from the T-Rex riff-heavy â€œElectric Love,â€ to the Philly soul of â€œFool.â€Â Yet his music doesnâ€™t seem like an intentional throwback, the way bands like The Struts do; thereâ€™s a lush modernness to his sound that keeps it fresh.

On Monday night, BÃ˜RNS played to the enthusiastic approval of the sold-out crowd at the El Rey, who hung on his every word. With his face frequently obscured by his hair and the lighting dark, theÂ ambience was moody and mysterious, but BÃ˜RNSÂ radiated charm to the delight of the young audience Â He opened the set with “Dug My Heart, and continued on through all ofÂ the tracks off his new album, Dopamine, adding in a fun cover ofÂ Elton Johnâ€™s â€œBenny and the Jets,â€ as part of his encore.Â

L.A.â€™s Avid Dancer opened the show with an energetic set of guitar-based indy pop that included a cover of the Brian Jonestown Massacreâ€™s â€œAnemone,â€ alongside tracks from their debut album â€œ1st Bath.â€

About The Author

Kathy is a freelance concert photographer based in Los Angeles, CA.
Kathy started photographing bands in the early 80s, where she was a fixture on the L.A. rock scene. She returned to concert photography in 2011, starting Wicked Goddess Photography.
She is editor-in-chief of Spice of Wickedness, and regularly contributes content to several sites, including Loudwire, Diffuser, and Find Your Seen.
Kathy can be found on twitter @wickedgoddess.